I Love You
by The Notorious Cat
Summary: SEQUAL TO HOW FAR AND THE REASON Catherine doubts, Grissom despairs, and frankly, they both know what they feel. So whats the problem? Read and find out! Grissom Catherine


I Love You 

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Author's Notations –

1) Well, well, well, we've finally reached the end of our trilogy. And just like any good trilogy, the last part has to be the best. I hope you think so.

2) If you have not read either How Far or The Reason, the first two parts of this story, you will most likely not understand this part. Please do, and please review.

3) Thank you to all my reviewers, and special thanks to Junius who recommended the song used in this story. I would've had no idea of where to go without your suggestion, so thanks a bunch.

4) The lyrics used in this story are in fact the lyrics to I Love You, by Celine Dion. If you are familiar with the song you will notice that I have decided not to use some of the lyrics. You'll find I merely just skipped right over them.

5) That is all. Enjoy!

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Catherine sat on a huge rock listening to the waves crash onto the beach around her. Time was ticking, but she didn't mind. Her plane was to leave in an hour and a half, but she couldn't possibly care less.

Terrible, awful horrible thoughts raced through her mind. The whole team had abandoned her. No one had called at all to check on her, to make sure she was okay. But she figured Warrick had explained the situation to Greg, Sara and Nick.

She smiled in spite of the situation. Warrick was such a good guy. Whoever ended up with him was a lucky gal.

But the awful thoughts just wouldn't go away. Grissom hadn't called, or wrote, or left her a message of any kind indicating that he had gotten her message. The thought that he hadn't received her letter crossed her mind, but even if he hadn't he could have at least called.

No, no, she needed to stop making excuses for him. He obviously didn't care about her. He obviously didn't need her. And though she knew the rest of the team would be heartbroken, she knew she couldn't go back. She couldn't face the man that was so cold that he couldn't even say goodbye, and she hoped no one expected her to.

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I must be crazy now  
Maybe I dream too much  
But when I think of you  
I long to feel your touch

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Suddenly, she felt someone shaking her lightly. Silently she prayed. She prayed it was Lindsey, whining for pancakes, awakening her from this horrible nightmare.

"Miss? Excuse me, miss?"

Damnit.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What can I do for you?" Catherine answered sadly, too overcome with silent anger and grief to yell at the man.

"A letter has come for you." He said, gesturing to the envelope in his hands. Catherine eyed him before taking it.

"Thank you." She said slowly. He nodded and walked away. The letter was face down, and Catherine slowly turned it over, afraid at what the return address might reveal.

Her heart skipped a significant beat when she saw Gil Grissom's home address in the corner.

'Deep breath' she told herself, and with a shaky hand she opened the letter. She pulled it out, closed her eyes, and unfolded it.

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To whisper in your ear  
Words that are old as time  
Words only you would hear  
If only you were mine

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As she read, Catherine felt tears form in her eyes. They poured down her face as she continued. The true feelings of Gil Grissom touched her deeply, and all her anger melted away. Somehow, his admittance and apology were all she needed. His invitation back to the lab and back into his life only made her wish she were there by his side. But one line touched her even deeper than all the rest. He had said:

_Oh and Catherine, you don't need to go any farther._

She felt this was his apology, invitation back, and acceptance of his ignorance all in one line, and she choked back a sob.

She couldn't muster the strength to move, so she sat on a huge boulder on the beach, her legs tucked in front of her, crying all the tears she had held in the past week. They flooded her face and she sobbed into her knees.

Her tears eventually died down, until they occurred as an occasional hiccup. She allowed herself time to think. Thoughts of Grissom, of Lindsey, of how much Grissom loved Lindsey, of how much Lindsey loved Grissom. She smiled to herself as she allowed herself to think of how incredibly perfect Grissom would fit into their lives. She was so stupid to have flown out here.

Suddenly, she sat upright. Kicking her sandals on, she checked her watch. _Oh my God... _She got up and ran to her hotel room. She had no more time to think about this. She would have to think on the plane she was catching in an hour.

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Gil Grissom sat in his office, mulling over his problems. He heard the gentle laugh of a woman and looked up, hope rising in his throat at the slim chance that Catherine was back, laughing with Warrick.

No, it was Sara. Her soft, shy giggle resounded in his ears as he watched her and Nick pass, hand in hand.

When Gil thought of it, he knew he was happy for Sara and Nick. He felt that since Sara had moved on, and helped him move on as well, he owed her at least that.

But right now, he had much more pressing problems. Catherine was still gone with word of returning, and his uneasiness grew by the hour.

Suddenly, an idea hit him.

"WARRICK BROWN REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF GIL GRISSOM, AGAIN, WARRICK BROWN REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF GIL GRISSOM." Boomed over the speakers, and as Grissom sat waiting in his chair for Warrick, he devised what to say to him.

"Yea Gris?" a slightly out of breath Warrick appeared in the doorway. Grissom looked up and slightly lowered his glasses. Warrick took a step into the room.

"How many days did Catherine give you the impression she was leaving for?" Grissom seemed to state the question rather than ask it. Warrick looked away, a frown forming on his face. He looked back at Grissom.

It was an innocent question, Warrick supposed. But, Catherine had instructed him not to say a thing to Grissom. However, if it would help them finally get together... He decided, and then prayed to God that it was the right choice and that Catherine would speak to him when she returned.

"A week or so."

Grissom sighed. Indeed, it had been seven days since Catherine had gone.

"Thanks."

Warrick smiled. He had made the right choice. He threw Grissom a little wave before leaving.

Grissom had work to do. He opened his laptop and got on the Internet, He went to Continental and checked flight listings for that day. Lets see, there were 5 flights coming in to Vegas on the west coast. One from New Mexico, nah...she hadn't gone to a place where she couldn't speak the language. One from Texas, only Nick would go there alone. One from Oklahoma, absolutely no chance of her visiting there. Two flights were from California...now there's a state she'd visit. He clicked on those for more information.

Hmm...one was from San Francisco. Maybe, he thought, but probably not likely. It was too loud and busy there. He checked the other. From Saint Monica, that was highly likely. He had been there himself; it was a nice place with a resort and beautiful beach.

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I wish I could go back to the very first day I saw you  
Should've made my move when you looked in my eyes  
'Cause by now I know that you'd feel the way that I do  
And I'd whisper these words as you'd lie here by my side

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Grissom's beeping watch brought him out of his reverie and back into reality. He shook his head as if trying to rid an evil thought from his mind and closed his laptop. Picking up the case files on his desk, he headed to the break room.

Upon entering, he noted Nick on the couch, Sara planted on his lap, both drinking coffee. He was stroking her back gently, and she was giggling and blushing as her hand grazed his chest every now and again. When they noticed Grissom enter, both made eye contact with him, neither looked ashamed or embarrassed. Nick gave Sara's hand a squeeze and they both took their respective places at the table.

In came Warrick. He breezed through the doorway, sending Sara a genuine smile, Grissom what he interpreted to be some sort of consoling glance, and Nick one of those best friend kind of looks, the kind where Warrick waggled his eyebrows in a gesture that meant, I-want-to-know-all-the-details-later. Grissom laughed in spite of himself as Sara cleared her throat.

But his face turned somber as he looked straight ahead towards the empty chair in which Catherine usually resided. Sara sent Nick and Warrick glances, and they retuned one. They had all felt the effects of Catherine's disappearance.

Grissom cleared his throat and they all looked in his direction.

"Alright, Warrick and Sara, murder at the Stratosphere. Nick, you go solo to a robbery on the strip."

"And you Gris?" Sara asked innocently.

"I have some 'personal business' I need to attend to."

Sara gave him a gap-toothed grin, Warrick chuckled, and Grissom could have sworn he heard Nick mutter a "Go get her Gris." under his breath.

He smiled at them and strode out the door. It went without saying that the fact that Grissom was basically skipping work today wouldn't go around the lab.

Gil walked quickly to his car and got in.

Catherine's flight was coming in in about forty-five minutes, and someone had to meet her there.

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I love you, please say  
You love me too, these three words  
They could change our lives forever  
And I promise you that we will always be together  
Till the end of time

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On the flight, Catherine flipped through a Sky Mall magazine. She had reached the kids section, so she flipped through quickly, slightly eager to reach the women's clothes. But something caught her eye.

An ant farm.

She smiled broadly as she remembered the one Gil had brought for Lindsey. He loved that little girl. She was the only child Grissom knew who had absolutely no fear of bugs. So he did what any sane man would.

He bought her an ant farm

She scarcely noticed the interior of the plane go blurry as she thought back to the event. When Grissom had first brought the ant farm to the house, Catherine was completely against the idea of keeping such a thing. But she watched Gil and Lindsey get so excited as the watched the ant's dig tunnels. She watched Lindsey point something out and ask Grissom about it, and he'd smile at her and give the answer. And the in perfection of the moment, she couldn't dream of saying no.

Time had passed, and Lindsey grew a year older. That might not seem like a lot, but for girls, a year can change many a thing. Lindsey was nine now, and her mother's opinion on anything and everything was wrong.

One by one, Lindsey's ants died off. And when the last one was gone, miss high and mighty herself cried like a baby. She cried until Catherine finally took her to see 'Uncle Grissom'.

When they got to CSI headquarters, she ran straight to his office. Catherine followed behind at a walk. By the time she got there, Lindsey was sitting on Gil's lap. He was talking in a calm voice, reassuring her as she cried. A tear ran down her face and he caught it, smiling gently. He noticed Catherine in the doorway and sent her a small smile. She smiled back at him with a little wave as Lindsey let her head rest on Gil's shoulder. She watched him turn and look at Lindsey with a large smile, give the top of her head a kiss, and he whispered,

"Don't worry Linds. It'll be alright."

Lindsey nodded her head and turned to give Grissom a hug.

"Thanks Uncle Grissom."

"Anytime." He had said.

Like father and daughter. Catherine could distinctly remember at that moment wishing she had married Grissom instead of that S.O.B. Eddie.

Grissom had even taken the time to mention Lindsey in his letter. She mentally re-read it again. He told her that his relationship with Lindsey was very important to him.

Catherine shook her head suddenly, shaking herself out of her daze.

She smiled to herself as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Like father and daughter...

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I love you, please say  
You love me too, these three words  
They could change our lives forever  
And I promise you that we will always be together  
Till the end of time

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As Grissom drove to the airport, he took three deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He feared if he didn't calm down soon, bad things were bound to happen. Once he saw Catherine, if he didn't cool down by then he'd be in deep shit. Once he got back to the lab if he didn't keep it on the down low that he hadn't been doing work while on the clock he could be fired.

But most of all, he was afraid if he didn't calm down really, really soon, he was going to floor the gas pedal in order to get there sooner.

Grissom was worried, and that wasn't doing anything to help him in the calming down department. He figured Catherine's reaction could be one of three.

1) She saw him, yelled at him while creating a scene in the process, and then proceeded to storm out while informing him that she was never coming back again.

2) She saw him, apologized for leaving on such short notice, told him she accepted his apology, but couldn't bear to be around him, so she and Lindsey were leaving town.

Or 3) She started crying when she saw him, apologizing and saying they'd talk about this problem later, that now she had to go get Lindsey and needed some rest.

He could only hope she'd find it in her heart to forgive him enough to act on his number three. Grissom knew full well that if Catherine didn't love him as more then a friend, that he would probably never find love in another person.

It had taken him fifteen years to work up the courage to do this. Sara had expected it in four, but that wasn't enough time for him.

All Grissom knew for sure was one thing.

He needed Catherine.

Incredibly badly.

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Well maybe I, I need a little love yeah  
And maybe I, I need a little care  
And maybe I, maybe you, maybe you, maybe you  
Oh you need somebody just to hold you  
If you do, just reach out and I'll be there

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Somehow, as Catherine felt the plane jolt against the ground, she felt herself wishing Gil were there. He'd hold her hand and comfort her without giving it another thought.

No one had ever given her happiness his first priority.

As the plane pulled in to the dock, Catherine took a deep breath, and she didn't know why. She just felt this strange sort of feeling that something was about to happen, and she had no idea what it was.

Some sort of momentous occasion was looming over her now. She quickly prayed to God that nothing had happened to her daughter.

It occurred to her that it might have to do with Gil. She was probably just nervous about seeing him again. She must be nervous, because at this point, she had no idea what to say to him.

'How about I love you?' her conscience yelled at her. Catherine smiled.

If only it were that easy.

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I love you, please say  
You love me too

Please say you love me too  
Till the end of time  
These three words  
They could change our lives forever  
And I promise you that we will always be together

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Grissom ran through the concourse, checking the slip of paper again. Gate 17, gate 17...where was it?!?! He had to catch Catherine; he had to be there in time... He felt like his entire life was riding on telling Catherine what he felt.

Grissom stopped.

Here was the gate. Catherine would come through those doors in a matter of minutes. It occurred to Grissom that the bit of carpet in front of him would be the place Catherine heard his confession.

If she stood here long enough to hear the whole thing anyway.

Thoughts started to run through Gil's mind. Bad thoughts. Thoughts of Catherine not caring, or walking away, or not feeling as he did.

Catherine not feeling as he did. That was the big one. But he no longer had time to think.

He felt as though he were someone else, watching the story unfold, thankful he didn't have to do what this man was about to do. And then, as Catherine walked trough the doors, Grissom watched her look around and spot him...and stop. And just as he was thanking the Lord once again that he wasn't in this man's shoes, BOOM he was rocketed into hiss body, he was Gil Grissom one again, and he now had to come up with what he would say.

Cause there was Catherine.

And there was he.

And here was the moment.

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Oh, I love you  
Please say you love me too

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Catherine strode out of the gateway, still wiping her eyes. She looked around for a sign that might direct her to luggage when...

Holy shit.

Catherine stopped dead in her tracks. Grissom was standing in front of her. Not directly, two-inches away kind of in front of her, but in the ten steps away front of her. She felt her eyes get wide as she just stood there, looking at him.

It came to mind that this was like some sort of movie scene, where boy and girl fall in love, boy can't handle it, girl runs off like an idiot, boy realizes how dumb he is, girl comes back, and boy meets her when and where she does. Only, in the movies, boy and girl kiss and live happily ever after at the end.

She had a strange, sinking feeling in her stomach that she might not be so lucky here.

Grissom took a step towards her. Then another. And another until he was three steps in front of her.

"Hey Cath." Grissom offered. Catherine gave him a sad half smile.

"Hey Gil."

Grissom led her a few steps away from the gate so they were a bit more secluded and a bit less in the middle of everything. He took the bag from Catherine's hand and placed it on the ground, and then took both of her hands in his.

"Catherine," he stared out, "I...well, I guess I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a jackass, I'm sorry for not reading the signs or ignoring them, I'm sorry for being a bad friend, and I'm sorry for making you fly all the way out to Santa Monica before I had the guts to take my head out of my ass. I guess I just, needed some...er, persuasion to figure out what I really treasure in my life, and what I really need. So, here I am, asking for your forgiveness, and though I am fully aware of how unworthy I am of it, I still wonder if you could find such a thing in your heart."

Catherine let all this sink in for a moment. She felt Grissom squeeze her hands, and it brought her out of her reverie. She put one of those purely Catherine, what-the-hell sort of smiles on her face, and spoke.

"Grissom, what are you doing here?" It sounded more like a statement then a question.

She met his eyes, and his bore into hers for a moment. She felt like she could almost read his mind if she looked any further.

"Catherine Willows, I love you."

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Please, please  
Say you love me too  
Till the end of time  
My baby.

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Catherine just stood there stunned. Her eyes got wide, and her face just dropped. Her lips broke apart in awe, and she licked them unconsciously. A genuine smile she felt she had never smiled before crept onto her face.

"Gil Grissom, I love you too."

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Together, together, forever  
Till the end of time  
I love you  
I will be your light  
Shining bright  
Shining through your eyesMy baby

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Authors Note (Yes yes yes, again, I know...):

I hope you all found this an enjoyable end to the trilogy! If you like Grissom and Catherine Pairings, be on the lookout for The Rascal Flatts Series, because half are G/C stories! (The other half are N/S)

REVIEWS ARE SO GREATLY APPRECIATED, I USUALLY FEEL LIKE NO ONE CARES SO C'MON, UPLIFT MY SELF ESTEEM!!!

L(ots) O(f) L(ove),

The Notorious Cat (meow)


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